WEYDEN, Rogier van der
(b. 1400, Tournai, d. 1464, Bruxelles)

Lamentation

c. 1464
Oil on wood, 35,5 45 cm
National Gallery, London

Rogier van der Weyden and his followers made several versions of the Pietà. This version with St Jerome, St Dominic and the donator belonged to a small portable altar and is considered as one of the best.

For this version of the Lamentation the man who commissioned it wanted to retain only Mary and Christ out of the central group, and to have himself and his patron saint, St Jerome, shown instead of St John. To the right, a Dominican replaces Mary Magdalene.

As the evidence of dendrochronology and the costume of the donor indicate, the panel must have been painted shortly before, or perhaps soon after, Rogier's death.